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Corn Pone with Swiss Chard & Tomatoes

Simple corn pone, adapted from the recipe in Cross Creek Cookery by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, makes a delicious dish served with sauteed Swiss chard, tomatoes and a little cheddar.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Keyword: buttermilk, corn bread, corn pone, cornmeal, cross creek, marjorie kinnan rawlings
Servings: 4
Author: Nicole Coudal, My Delicious Blog

Ingredients

Corn Pone

  • 1 cup cornmeal (I used white, fine ground, but try any kind you have)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 Tb. vegetable shortening, melted (I used Crisco, as MKR recommends)
  • 1 Tb. bacon grease (Or coconut or olive oil, but bacon flavors best!)

Swiss Chard/Topping

  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, large stems removed, leaves chopped
  • 1 Tb. olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 3-4 Tb. cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

  • Add dry ingredients for corn pone to a mixing bowl; whisk to combine.
  • Add 2 Tb. Crisco to a small (microwavable) bowl and microwave about 1 minute to melt; set aside.
  • Spoon bacon grease (or other preferred fat) into a seasoned 8" cast iron pan (or nonstick pan) and bring to high heat on the stovetop.
  • As pan heats, add buttermilk to dry mixture, stir to combine, then add melted Crisco and stir until incorporated (it will be thick).
  • Spoon corn mixture into the hot pan, pushing the batter toward the edges, but not letting it touch the edges. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3-4 minutes, until bottom is nicely browned (check periodically to ensure it's not burning - if so, reduce heat).
  • While pone cooks, heat a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. When garlic is brown, remove from pan. Add chard to pan and saute about 1 minute, mixing to combine with the garlicky oil; reduce heat to medium/low and cook another 1-2 minutes until wilted. Turn off heat and let sit until pone is ready.
  • Flip the pone carefully with a spatula then cook another 3-4 minutes (check periodically to ensure it's not burning). When nicely browned, turn off heat and transfer to a cutting board.
  • Cut pone into 4 wedges; top with chard, tomatoes and cheese, and serve immediately (corn pone is best served hot and crispy!).